When the Stars Don't Shine
by JmsTonight
Summary: "Please." She cried, brown eyes clashing against icy blue. He reached for the blonde, her small frame crashing into his broad chest. He tilted her tear-stained face to him and captured her lips in a passionate kiss, her breath picking up as strong arms circled her waist, warmth rolling off of him in waves. He pulled back, forehead against hers. "I could never leave you." LaLu
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: So this is my first fanfic yay! I'm going to try and not make the story drag out because I want to introduce Laxus in the next few chapters or so! Ah feel so bubbly and excited! Well I hope you like it and would really appreciate any reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail**

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Hazy brown eyes scanned the rowdy crowd, everyone celebrating for some random and unknown reason. There were many smiles and cheers among the powerful mages as the night progressed and their festive spirits grew. Only one person stood out in particular to the mage however, vibrant pink hair immediately catching their eye. The mage wearily eyed the boisterous dragon slayer across the room from the vacant bar, watching as he laughed with his fellow comrades, arm lazily draped across the shoulders of the newly returned guild member. The lone mage sighed dejectedly, quickly averting her eyes from the sight as she felt her heart clench in pain.

Lucy Heartfillia was not one to usually let her emotions run rampant, but the past few weeks of being pushed away and ignored by her supposed "best friend" have been hammering down on her heart and self-confidence as of late. She could obviously see that the fire breather was deeply and madly in love, but not with her. Now that Lisanna was back at the guild, Lucy knew she would never have a chance to confess her feelings for Natsu. The reunited childhood friends had spent every second together since their return from Edolas, never leaving each other's side. Lucy felt her heart shatter once more, practically feeling tossed aside for the brand new toy. Her eyes cast downwards onto her empty glass, face now set in a distasteful frown.

"Lucy?" A soft voice called. Brought out of her thoughts, the girl in question looked towards the one calling her, momentarily forgetting about all of her overwhelming emotions.

"Hi Mira," Lucy smiled to the barista. Mira was one of the few people Lucy truly felt close to besides Erza, Gray, Wendy, and Levy. She even viewed Mira as the older sister she had always wanted. The white haired mage was also one of the few people not heavily partaking in the celebration, mainly due to the fact that she was the only one who worked behind the bar.

"Are you feeling well? You looked ill for a moment there Lucy." Her normal soft features were now hard and laced with concern as she awaited the younger girl's answer, her stare never wavering.

"I'm fine, Mira" I lied. "Just got caught up in my own thoughts is all." She looked a bit relieved, but not completely believing my excuse. She does know that I have taken a liking to someone within the guild, but doesn't know that the same person was causing me to feel so down. She nearly lost it when I told her the news, just recalling the memory of her trying to get me to spill the name made me shiver in fear. Mira looked about ready to probe a bit more and question if we should have some "girl talk" but I beat her to the punch, already figuring she was going to keep me hostage till she had all the answers she needed. "I am curious about why everyone seems to be very festive tonight though. Everybody's partying like there is no tomorrow." I stated rather quickly, wanting to cease any further questions.

Mira's face suddenly brightened at the question, eyes shinning brightly, shortly forgetting any previous thoughts she had.

"Everyone is partying for the upcoming trials! Although it's three months away, the guild just had to start early." She squealed in delight, her voice almost drowned out by all of the noise. I stared at her quizzically, completely lost in the entire conversation.

"Oh Lucy, I forgot that you weren't here for last year's trial!" She recalled.

"Trial? Trial for what?" I questioned, eyes drifting off to the dragon slayer once again.

"A trial to see which mages in Fairy Tail can succeed in becoming an S-class mage," a deep voice cut in. I turned in my chair to see Gray and Erza approach the bar. Erza, with her cake in hand, chose the seat next to mine while Gray leaned back against the bar counter, shirt and pants "mysteriously" missing.

"Gray, your clothes?" I giggled, now highly amused by his flustered expression as he tried to gather his missing articles of clothing. Other than Erza's brash lifestyle and Gray's odd stripping habits, I had really grown close to the two since I arrived at the guild, always giving each other strength on jobs and battles when needed.

Trial? I thought, now seeming to register Gray's words. What would someone have to do to to succeed? Better yet, how are we even able to participate? These questions shot through my mind as I became highly intrigued at the idea of becoming an S-class mage.

"So," I started, getting back on track. "How exactly does this trial work?" Erza took a bite of her cake as she turned to address my question.

"The trials, also known as the Promotion Trial, is a series of tests and battles to see who among the guild is capable of becoming an S-Class mage. Each person in the trials is hand-picked by Master Makarov himself, choosing those he feel are ready to compete." She finished, already grabbing herself another slice of cake to fill her empty plate.

I tilted my head to the side, face alight with wonder.

"Really? How many S-class mages have currently passed the trial so far?"

"Technically five," Mira began as the scarlet mage was currently stuffing her face with the sugary dessert. "Erza and myself being two of them, but since Mystogan has returned to his homeland in Edolas, we are now down to four."

I looked at Mira in shock as she finished her sentence. There are only four S-class mages in Fairy Tail? How hard can this trial be that only four out of the hundreds of people in the guild have passed?

"Gramps usually sticks to the basic battles among guild members, but whether you are against the other competitors or an S-class is where things become challenging." Gray said, almost as if he read my mind.

"Battle against an S-Class mage!" I shouted, eyeing the three in disbelief, a few heads turning in our direction at the sudden outburst. "How could anyone ever go against an S-Class mage?"

Erza laughed heartily at my surprised reaction, a brilliant smile on her face.

"Do not worry Lucy, Master changes the trials up from time to time, and those who do happen to face an S-Class mage do not need to worry about being seriously injured. Our job as S-Class mages is to assess if the competitor is capable both mentally and physically enough to protect the people around them." She said with a warm smile. She opened her mouth to continue her explanation but was cut off by a large group of mages.

Many shouts sounded throughout Fairy Tail, followed by a faint crash as the first brawl of the night broke out. I groaned in annoyance, turning my head in the opposite direction of the overbearing noise.

"I see someone has decided to begin another strength tournament." Erza rumbled, a thick dark aura beginning to surround her. I looked to ask for the sudden serious tone, but what stopped me was seeing a broken plate and unfinished piece of cake on the floor. Putting two and two together I quickly realized where this was heading, Erza swiftly marching across the room towards the clump of fighting mages.

Nervous sweat rolled down my head as I looked to Gray for help. Gray shook his head exasperatedly, knowing that someone in the guild is going to wish they had never angered the mighty Titania.

"Come on Lucy, better go stop Erza before she ends up destroying the entire guild." Gray sighed, already walking in the brawl's direction. Lucy sat nervously in her seat for a moment, but decided to follow, not wanting to sit around and do nothing while the Gray had to deal with a very furious Erza. She bid Mira a quick apology before heading towards Gray.

The blonde crossed the room in fluid steps, quickly reaching the two mages. A swift scan of the room and Lucy noticed the fighting had stopped, all eyes on the livid red-head. A heap of tangled bodies froze in place, some bystanders even running to get out of eyesight in fear of Erza's reaction.

With arms crossed over her chest Erza eyed down the guild, searching for the culprit.

"Who started this fight?" She demanded through clenched teeth, anger seeping out of her. All eyes flew to the pile on the ground, pointing out the oblivious dragon slayer.

"Hey why'd everyone stop? I must've been too much to handle!" The boisterous mage laughed. "Ok I will go easy on ya guys this time then. Who's ready for round two!" When no one replied it was then that Natsu had begun to feel the tension in the air. He slowly turned to look over his shoulder and was met with Erza's menacing gaze. Nastu's wide-eyed expression mirrored everyone else's in the guild.

He took one quick step to the right. Then another. And before I knew it, he was running across the guild hall, arms flailing around him.

"Nastu!" Erza barked, grabbing him from the back of his shirt, clearly angered by his childish antics. "I will ask you one last time. Did you start this?"

"Well, you see, I technically didn't." He answered in a small voice.

"That does not matter." Erza cut in before anyone could speak. "Natsu, we understand it's ok to spar and battle with each other once in a while, but engaging in an all out riot is unacceptable."

"But, Erza! It really wasn't my fault!" Natsu whined. "All I suggested was a small tournament! How was I supposed to know so many people wanted to join in?"

"She's right Natsu, you shouldn't start these pointless fights in the guild or someone will eventually get hurt." I replied with a stern face. I can't really see how this "tournament" wasn't some excuse just to show off again.

"Ha! You're one to talk, Lucy." Natsu retorted. I stared at him in shock, completely caught off guard from his sudden burst of newfound anger.

"That was uncalled for." Gray spoke in a slow, warning tone. "Lucy has done nothing wrong here, Natsu."

"Yeah right! How about on that job last week then? You know, the one where she nearly got us caught by that dark guild? She did nothing wrong though, right? Or maybe the other time where we were ambushed because she couldn't handle one mage." The dragon slayer sneered.

His words felt like a slap to the face, leaving me with nothing but humiliation and hurt. Doesn't he know that I try? That I've been doing my best to help the team? I know that I am not as physically strong as him or Gray, but I've been giving it my all on the missions we take.

"She is holding the team back. Can't you see that!" Lisanna practically yelled, eyeing me with disdain.

"Enough. Both of you will apologize to Lucy. Now." Erza demanded.

"Look, on all of the missions we take it ends up with one of us having to save her from getting killed or us taking all the heat, and we certainly know why. Face it," Natsu spat. "She is not our partner. She's a liability."

I bowed my head in embarrassment as tears threatened to spill. I kept telling myself that I would not cry in front of him or anyone, but I couldn't stop the tears. He was right, I have been holding everyone back and it is all because I'm not strong enough.

I quickly ran out of the Guild hall as the other members stared at my retreating form. I could faintly hear Erza and Gray calling out to me, but I ignored their pleas, too ashamed to face anyone.

After arriving at my apartment, my body collapsed onto my bed, face shoved into the tear stained pillows. I know tomorrow will be unbearable, all eyes will be on me and it is all because I was too weak. However, right now I just want to dream away all of my problems and forget all of my worries. I suddenly felt tired from all the running and stress of today's event as a yawn passed through my lips. My eyes fell shut and the remaining tears fell from my blotchy face, drifting into a dreamless sleep.

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**Author's Note: First chapter down! Woo hoo! So, I'm planning to update the next chapter later on in the week to look over any feedback, but other than that I'm really excited to work on this :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I really wasn't expecting many people to read this story, so I am really happy to see that you guys like it, thanks so much for all the favorites and reviews! :) I was planning on posting this sometime this weekend, but I couldn't wait to upload it. So enough of my rambling and I hope you like the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail**

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It was a quiet morning in Fiore, not many were out on the streets this early in the day, save for four lone figures. Just minutes before the sun began to rise, these four mages entered the Fairy Tail hall, each looking exhausted and worn out from the past week. All but one. This person stood at the front, leading the group with his massive build towering over the other three, his presence practically screaming authority. His cold, blue eyes showed no fear and his face conveyed no weakness, making him one of the Fairy Tail's strongest and feared members.

Laxus Dreyar pushed open the front doors of Fairy Tail and stalked in the direction of a booth at the far end of the guild, the Thunder God Tribe trailing not too far behind. He sat down to quickly recap the mission's success, silently evaluating the team's efficiency.

The mission had been no problem for the lightning mage, he didn't even break a sweat with the S-ranked mission. Taking down the rouge dark guild was of no challenge to him. His only struggle however, was listening to his teammates for the past week argue over the most trivial things. Bickslow and Evergreen had spent the last three hours talking non-stop over who had the highest chance of defeating an entire dark guild and the pointless argument was beginning to wear down on the blonde's patience.

He took a deep breath of air to calm down before he ended up frying both of them, something he did not want to have to explain to his grandfather about. He turned from the two's bickering and instead made his way to find Mira and report about the mission, his footsteps echoing through the empty guild.

Reaching the bar he found the white-haired woman flicking on various kitchen appliances, preparing for the long day ahead. She turned the corner of the counter and froze, completely caught off guard as she did not expect anyone so early in the morning.

"Welcome back, Laxus." She greeted, instantly regaining her composure. "The job went well I assume?" The girl inquired, eyes fixated on the green-haired mage across the room.

Laxus gave a low grunt as his only form of approval, paying no attention to the girl's lack of concentration. He knew of his teammate's relationship with the girl, but had no intentions of getting involved with the affair.

The lightning mage had indeed spent much of his time with the trio, considering most in the guild still resented him for his Fantasia incident. Many would say he and the trio were practically glued to each other, but in truth, Laxus was mostly indifferent towards his team's private matters. There was very little Laxus didn't know about his team but instead, he deliberately chose to keep out of their private life, hence the word "private". He only ask that they give him the same courtesy in return.

Laxus stared back down at the girl and cleared his throat, snapping her out of her trance-like state.

"Ah! Sorry, Laxus. What was it that you said?"

The mage in question held back a chuckle, fairly astonished that just seeing Freed can greatly effect the girl.

"Just ask Freed about the details." He said before striding past the flushed, spluttering mage. He passed his teammates and gave a small flick of his hand as his sign of departure.

The mage strolled through the guild's many halls and set off for the training room, figuring a workout would a good way to kill time. Upon arrival, he shrugged off his thick coat and tossed aside his sleeveless top, revealing layers upon layers of taut, muscular flesh rippling all across his torso.

Laxus stood in front of thirty, magically infused training dolls, a calloused hand holding a small remote. The dolls would served as his opponents for this workout as he turned a dial on the remote, the magic within each doll now activating them to move just as a person would.

The blonde walked towards the faceless dolls and paused, raising his hands in front of him, left hand shielding his chest and right hand next to his trademark scar along his face. Small flares of electricity surged around his body, the air now heavily laced with electric charges, creating a ticking time bomb. Time seemed to pass by in a blur as one of the dolls charged forward from the group, triggering a stampede of dolls. The mage smirked as he met the mob head on, the entire room engulfed in a yellow light as the first lightning bolt struck.

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The sound of faint laughter and the occasional chirp of birds seeped into my homely apartment, signaling the beginning of a new day. Only, I didn't want this day to begin. I covered my hands over my eyes, trying to block the blinding sun in hopes of falling back asleep. Minutes passed and more chirping ensued, the polite chattering outside seeming to grow louder by the second. With a frustrated sigh, I threw back the covers and trudged out of bed, stumbling over various pieces of furniture in the process.

I entered the restroom and headed for the sink, turning on the faucet and splashing the cool liquid onto my face. I glanced into the mirror and was shocked at the reflection staring back at me. The girl I saw had puffy, blood shot eyes and ruffled hair sticking out in all directions, face void of any emotion. A complete and total wreck. I turned from the mirror, repulsed by the ghastly image and decided a shower would be the best remedy for now.

I finished going about my morning routine and turned the shower on, discarding yesterday's clothes into the laundry basket while the water heated up. Testing the temperature I stepped into the quaint shower, sighing in content as warm water met skin, tense muscles finally beginning to relax. Ten minutes passed before I finished washing and stepped out, wrapping myself in a towel. Gathering a new set of underwear, I rummaged through my closet choosing a simple black skirt and white matching blouse as the outfit for the day.

I did not want to go anywhere or do anything today, not after yesterday's occurrences. Just thinking about Natsu's malicious words make me want to hide away in my apartment for the next year or so just to try and forget the humiliation. Just forget everything.

Fresh tears welled up in the corners of my eyes, once again emotions taking control. Letting out a shaky breath, I wiped the tears away, determined to not cry even though I knew I would break at any given moment. Just as I pulled my top over my head a small puff of smoke came into view and revealed my pet-like spirit shaking with a smile on his face, pale arms outstretched in a hug.

I gave a weak giggle as I knelt down to accept Plue's hug, silently thanking him for his comfort. It's very reassuring to know that I can rely on my spirits in even the worst situations, glad to know that they care for me as much as a I care for them. I stood up and smiled down at my lively spirit, heading towards the door.

"Well Plue," I said with newfound confidence. "Let's get this over with." We stepped outside onto the stone road and started our walk towards Fairy Tail, wondering what we will be faced with when we arrived.

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Silence. That is all that I could use to describe the guild hall as I crossed the floor over to the bar. Not many were up this early considering it was only eight-thirty, but I'm guessing word traveled fast within Fairy Tail since the few that were present had stopped their conversations and stared openly at me as I ordered a small breakfast plate. I ignored their stares and took a seat next to my shaking companion as we waited for our food.

Seeing that I seemed unfazed by yesterday's events, quiet murmurs broke out in the guild, many mostly questioning if I even remembered what had happened. I shook my head in distaste at all the gossip and instead focused on the steaming plate of pancakes that was set down in front of me.

I got to work, slowly eating away at the stack of fluffy deliciousness as the tension dissipated from the air and lighter conversation took place. I let out a breath of relief, greatly pleased I wasn't the center of attention and ridicule as I had feared. I spent most of the time eating while Plue danced or made wild gestures to get a laugh or two out of me. After having our fill of pancakes I paid for the meal and turn to see Plue tugging at my sleeve. I could sense through the bond that he had other business to attend to in the sprit world, so I thanked him again for his company before he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Hopping down from the bar seat, I made my way over to the request board to kill time and see what new jobs have popped up. Skimming over the board, my eye caught a job that needed help renovating their mining system. I grabbed the paper from the board and walked towards Mira to get it approved. The pay was fairly decent and only lasted for three days which will be more than enough time to complete with the help of Virgo.

"Morning, Mira," I called out as I returned to the bar once again. Mira greeted me with her usual smile, but clearly worried how I was doing after the Team disbanding.

"Morning, Lucy," she replied with less enthusiasm as usual. "Lucy, about yesterday, I'm really sorry about how my sister acted towards you. What was said-"

"Don't worry, Mira," I cut in to save her from continuing. "I'm over it." I lied. Of course the rejection still hurts, but as far as Lisanna went, I really was over her. No, I don't forgive her, certainly not, but I am done trying to make any sort of friendship with her. Nastu, however will definitely take a much longer time to get over, he was after all the one who brought me to Fairy Tail. I removed these thoughts and returned to the task at hand. "I was actually wondering if you could approve this job for me so I could clear my mind a bit."

I handed the paper over to Mira as I finished my sentence, letting her look over the details. She looked almost hesitant to approve the job, but said nothing as she stamped the paper knowing that I did need some time away.

"You're all set, Lucy." Mira smiled, handing back the paper. "Hope this will let you sort a few things out."

"Thanks, Mira." I smiled back, already excited for the next few days ahead. I didn't have to leave till the following morning, so I quickly bid Mira goodbye and hurried to the guild's training room as more people began to filter through the doors.

Training has never been my cup of tea, but if I want to show everyone what I am capable of, I might as well put in the effort right away.

Yesterday was definitely not one of my most memorable, but because of it, I can now strive to become a stronger person, both physically and emotionally.

"I really have a good feeling about today." I whispered aloud as I entered the training room and walked face first into the broad chest of a very large and very shirtless Laxus Dreyar.

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**Author's Note: Laxus is finally here! Yay! Sadly, I am not going to show any drastic or immediate attraction between him and Lucy. I really want to show more in depth how their relationship and interactions progress as Lucy works to become a more powerful mage. :) Reviews of any kind are more than welcome. Well, I hope you liked the chapter and I can't wait to update soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: I am very sorry for such a late update but I hope this will make up for that. I really do appreciate the reviews and to one in particular, I don't plan on making Lucy have some random new power, 'cause I feel if I do that, then she would no longer be Lucy but a totally different character. Things are slowly setting into motion for her and Laxus, but again their attraction might not be as rushed. Other than that I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail**

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There were a few things Lucy absolutely knew she could accomplish. Write a novel? Sure. Avoid burning down a town? Yep. Remove herself from a steamy and tantalizing Laxus? Probably not.

Running into the hulking male drove her into a daze as she hurriedly stumbled backwards to provide more space between each other. She moved blindly as her frantic shuffling came into contact with a limp doll, causing her to lose her footing and head straight for the floor.

She shut her eyes awaiting the rough impact. but it never came. Before the smaller blonde could hit the floor from the oncoming collision, the taller had firmly placed his hands on her sides to keep her in place, the bare, hot skin flush against hers. She could feel his cool breath fan across her face, heavy and labored from the strenuous exercise that just took place. But as quickly as he had caught her, he removed himself from the girl after noticing their close proximity.

"Sorry, I didn't think anyone was in here this early." Lucy mumbled, brown eyes gazing into impassive blue.

Lucy never took the time to fully view the lightning mage. He was certainly not one of her favorite people to be around, but she took the extra time now to accommodate for the missed opportunities to do so.

His hair was only a shade or two darker than her own and his massive build overshadowed hers greatly, muscle laced all over his lower abdomen and arms. Her eyes skimmed lower until they landed on his Fairy Tail mark. The tattoo the exact copy as everyone else but encircled by elegant dark swirls and patterns.

She brought her face up to meet Laxus once more, her eyes imploring and curious about the man. The thing she noticed most however, was that his usual smug and cocky expression that he wore during the Fantasia battle was no longer present. He was instead shrouded with an aura of empowerment and exhaustion, something very new and very different from what the girl was expecting.

Lucy ceased her musings and regained focus once more. Laxus stood confident and composed, not even bothered by her lengthy observation, he simply gathered his belongings and walked towards the door before pausing to toss the doll with the rest.

"Room's yours." He replied over his shoulder, not once looking back at the celestial mage.

Lucy stared at his retreating form as he walked out of the training room, her tense shoulders relaxed, grateful he didn't bring up their recent event.

She did not resent the lightning mage for his past actions, she had actually forgiven him a long time ago, but she felt that there might be a better time to try and befriend the intimidating man.

Lucy sighed and made her way to the women's locker room. Quickly changing into the appropriate workout attire that consisted of skin tight yoga pants and a loose muscle shirt. She lastly tied her blonde locks into a high pony-tail and explored the room's contents, curious and slightly confused on how each station was used.

Lucy drifted over the various workout stations and noted a small section in the corner of the room, big enough for two people to spar. This reminded her of a certain spirit who would be absolutely perfect for hand to hand combat. She smiled and stood to the side as she pulled a key from her belt high above her head.

"Open, Gate of the Lion! Leo!" She chanted aloud as she brought down the key and a gleaming light appeared.

"Lucy." Loke greeted, his usual formal suit was switched for a pair of athletic shorts and a grey form-fitting shirt. "Up for a spar, beautiful?" The spirit asked with a vibrant smile, thoroughly pleased to be in the company of his caring owner.

"Think you could teach me the basics first?" She laughed. All thoughts of Laxus vanished as she gave her full attention to Loke who began to demonstrate various stances and attacks.

The two had practiced each move time and time again until Loke deemed it mastered to perfection.

Lucy's breath was haggard and her body glistened in sweat. She flopped down onto the ground as Loke handed her a bottle of water. She took long, languorous sips of the water, savoring the refreshing liquid as it traveled down her parched throat.

"Not a bad start, Lucy." Loke commented taking a seat next to the drained girl. She drew her knees closer to her chest and rested her head on top of them, turning in his direction.

"You think so?" She inquired, slightly proud that she has made a small step towards her goal.

"Of course." The spirit affirmed. "You still have a lot more to learn, but I think you can handle most of what I throw at you."

The girl smiled brightly at her friend and silently relished in her small achievement.

"It's almost noon," Loke said. "Want to get out of here before we have to deal with Elfman's 'being a man' speech?" He asked while doing a horrible impression of Elfman and sticking out his chest in a 'manly' manner.

I laughed at the miserable attempt and Loke joined in too, the once quiet room now filled with jubilant laughter.

"Sure, anything to save me from seeing you do that again." I giggled.

"Lucy, your words are so cold." He said with mock hurt as he reached up to wipe an imaginary tear from his eye.

"Aw, poor little kitten." I playfully teased. "To show you how terribly sorry I am, how about we go grab some lunch. My treat!" I said while standing up and offering my hands to him.

He shook his head with a small amused smile on his face and accepted my hands as he hoisted himself up from the ground to stand.

"Well who could say no to you, Lucy." He laughed.

"Yeah, yeah flirty kitten." I answered. "Let me just change out of these clothes and we can go." I added, the putrid smell emitting from my skin making my nose wrinkle in disgust. At least I know I worked hard, I thought trying to create a bright side to the offending odor.

"Just call whenever you're ready, beautiful." Loke spoke as he waved his hand and disappeared in the familiar glowing light.

I strode over to the locker room, grabbed my clothes, and headed to the showers. I turned the knob and stepped into the stall, absentmindedly reflecting upon today's training and what might come next. I took my time as I mulled over these thoughts, the steam gradually misting through the air and the steady rhythm of the water resounding throughout the vacant hall.

* * *

My 'apology lunch' as Loke put it had been surprisingly very filling and pleasant in his company, not a minute went by where Loke wasn't praising the food (more so the waitress). Upon finishing the delectable meal, we spent the rest of the day strolling around Magnolia, resting once in a while at any available bench we came across.

To say the least, I was happy Loke was with me today.

We laughed and smiled at any little thing we happened to witness from all of the buzzing people around us and stopped to enter different arrays of shops to waste time. This was a well needed break on life and I couldn't feel more at ease.

The day past by in a blur, both of us too caught up to notice we had walked back to my apartment.

"I will make tea." I said as I busied myself around the room to fix the overturned furniture from earlier this morning.

Loke nodded his head and plopped down on the modest work desk pushed against the wall. He distracted himself with her small collection of books and notes she had lying about.

"So," Loke began as he absentmindedly shuffled numerous papers around her desk. "How long do you plan on training?"

"For a while," the girl answered from the kitchen. "I'm hoping I can turn it into a daily thing." She replied setting the pot on the heating stove.

"And this has nothing to do with Natsu?" He questioned.

"Of course not." She stated, trying to act neutral with the sudden topic. It had a lot to do with him, but she would never admit it, at least not to Loke anyway.

"How long do you plan on lying to yourself?"

Her hand reaching for the china froze as she heard his accusation. Her body went rigid for a moment before she forced her anxiety away and reached for the cups once more.

Everything she had done since the day she arrived through the guild doors was for him, even I she didn't know it herself. Even before she had developed feelings for Natsu, she did everything in her power to aid him, save for the multiple times he would sneak into her room, but nonetheless she tried.

The fact he had thrown her away without so much as an apology left her hurt, so hurt that she did honestly feel like the nothing that he had described her to be. Yet, instead of staying sad, she fueled her emotions to anger and determination. She is determined to work hard to improve herself, to strengthen herself as both a human being and a fighter. The anger only helped push her to prove him wrong and she couldn't wait.

So was this really all about Natsu? No. He certainly did play a hell of a role in it though.

She smiled to herself and served the now steaming tea in each cup and waked to hand Loke his own.

He stared, confused for her sudden change of mood but was caught off guard by her reply.

"Didn't you know, Loke?" She asked as she sipped on her cup. "A girl should be two things: who and what she wants. And I just so happen to want to show everyone what I am capable of."

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**Author's Note: Another chapter down! This chapter really just showed the beginning of Lucy's training and how she wants to change herself for the better. Loke I think sees Lucy more as a sibling most of the time and I thought he would be the best spirit to help her train. Laxus didn't get featured much in this chapter, but that is why the next chapter will be mainly on Laxus's! Yay! It will mainly portray his life at the guild and the introduction to some problems he will face later on in the story including another certain blonde. I really do read every single review and I hope you could give any kind of feedback. Thanks again for reading! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Back with another chapter finally! Summer is here and I can now devote my time to writing. I hope you enjoy this chapter and possibly get a feel of how the story will progress. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail**

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"So, there I was sitting next to the pool, enjoying my day and talking to Elfman when Evergreen shows up." An overly excited Bickslow chatted.

Laxus rested his head on top of his hand, not even trying to keep up with the conversation. The increasing volume within the hall was already becoming too overbearing for his sensitive hearing as he attempted to drown out everyone. He had thought his training session would calm his nerves before many of the others arrived, but it just served as a temporary treatment before he was faced with a pounding headache and a dull ringing in his ears. The dragon slayer sat with his oddly eccentric team once more and silently wished to strangle the helmeted man next to him in hopes of quieting him permanently.

"She starts walking our way and Elfman is practically drooling over her." Evergreen glared daggers at her teammate as Laxus and Freed tried their best to avoid her boiling wrath. "Well, just as she reaches us this klutz slips and starts to head for the water! You should have seen her face, looked like a drowning cat!" He laughed. The girl had turned a shade of bright red and looked ready to kill. "Then Elfman tried to go in after her and boy was that a disaster!"

Evergreen faced the obscured man with a dark tint in her eyes, her eyebrows twitching slightly in annoyance and silent rage. Laxus had taken notice of the sudden change from the girl's usual calm demeanor and turned his head away from the group in attempt to hide the small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Evergreen drew back her leg and sent a swift kick to Bickslow's shin under the table. The man jumped in surprise and massaged the damaged skin as Evergreen grinned mischievously at him, definitely pleased with her small victory.

"What? It was funny," Bickslow whined while still tending to the abused skin. "Besides, if you're going to be sexy, ya got to do it right." He teased which earned him another kick to the leg. "Will you stop that!"

"Well, what do you guys think of this year's trials?" Evergreen asked in a sickly innocent voice, briskly changing the topic and eyeing Bickslow dangerously.

"Oh yeah, when is it again?" Bickslow asked, completely unfazed by the silent threat, and genuinely confused about the date. "I wonder what the Master has in store this time."

"It's just going to be the same trial and same people trying to compete," Laxus grumbled, sitting further back in his seat with disinterest. Every year was the same, or at least it felt the same to him anyways. People go in the trial, they fight, and they lose. Before it was humorous to see them fail, but now it just feels like a waste of time if all he will be doing is watching on the sidelines as they drop one by one.

"I don't think so." Freed interjected, clasping his hands around his cup, the steam from the warm liquid rising around him. "Don't forget we have had a few new additions to the guild after all. Lucy and Wendy have a chance to compete, and Lisanna as well." He answered in deep thought.

"That's right!" Bickslow stated at the mention of the names. "So maybe this year will be different, Laxus. You might even get to see a few decent battles." He cooed.

Laxus had to agree with the walking trash can for once. While the newcomers might not win, it might be interesting to see them compete for the first time. Who knows, maybe seeing some new magic could actually prove to be worth-while for him. Oddly enough this new bit of information left him slightly intrigued in the upcoming event, more importantly, who would be competing.

"Oh, Laxus!" A soft voice called, electrifying blue hair momentarily blurring his vision. He looked up to see a small girl running towards his table accompanied by two other male figures.

"Levy," he greeted as he glanced at her teammates Jet and Droy. Both men stood on either side of the girl, eyes narrowed and obviously displeased with his presence. Laxus ignored their pointed glares, and kept his attention on Levy, his act enraging them even more as one let out a series of mumbled curses.

Bickslow and Evergreen had stopped their conversation, both turning to openly glare at the two men. Levy had sensed the tension and wrung her hands around the hem of her dress, hands shaking terribly from the uncomfortable atmosphere.

"You got a problem or something?" Evergreen questioned heatedly. She and Bickslow kept their gaze firm as they waited for an answer. Freed had remained as silent and composed as ever, but his face hardened, emerald eyes cold and calculating upon witnessing the poor treatment his friend was receiving.

"Was there something you needed?" Laxus asked calmly, his thick voice slicing through the tension easily as all eyes landed on him.

"Oh, yes! I was just with Master Makarov, and he asked if you could meet him in his office." The girl smiled nervously, hands still shaking.

"I see. Thank you, Levy" he replied, swiftly ending the discussion. She merely smiled again at the group before turning to leave. Laxus could see the girl lecturing her teammates seconds later, the look on their faces said it all as she spouted words a mile a minute for their behavior.

Once out of ear shot Evergreen let out an irritated sigh. Laxus knew this kind of treatment bothered his teammates to their wits end since it wasn't the first time this had happened. Events like this use to occur on a daily basis for the four; other members ignoring their presence, shouting at them, but a majority of the heat had been thrown at Laxus after the Fantasia parade. Most of the members were outraged when Gramps had allowed him and the Thunder God Tribe to stay. He didn't entirely understand why his grandfather would do such a thing either, but did not question his decision.

"Well, what are you waiting for? The Master still needs to see you remember." Freed reminded as he blew on his cup. "Tells us what happened afterwards."

Laxus nodded, heading up the stairs and to a large wooden door. He had opened the door and entered the spacious room. The room consisted of a deep, mocha colored desk, two office chairs, one sofa, and the occasional family photo. Laxus watched his grandfather scribble away at the many stacks of paperwork as he took a seat in one of the chairs across of the desk.

"Laxus," Master Makarov smiled. "How is it going?"

Laxus sank deeper into the chair, his tense muscles unwinding. It was not often Laxus was called to have these little chats with his grandfather, and certainly not often that these chats would end on a brighter note. He looked towards his child-sized grandfather and felt so much warmth radiating from the older man.

"It's going I suppose," he answered blandly. "Yourself?"

"Considerably well for an old geezer like myself I say." He laughed. "I am dealing with quite the dilemma however, which is why I called." Laxus kept quiet, his impassive mask set in place as he waited for his grandfather to continue. "As you know, I am slowly reaching my limits as Master of the guild, and there was only one person who came to mind when thinking of a successor." Laxus felt an unpleasant chill crawl up his spine, almost predicting his grandfather's next words.

"Laxus, you are to be my successor and take my place as Master of Fairy Tail."

The blonde sat stunned, face blank and devoid of emotion from the sudden news. The two stared at one another for a good minute before realization finally kicked in. How could he run a guild? Sure he could handle the paperwork and financial part, but he can't be Master of Fairy Tail. Not with almost every member hating him. He inhaled a deep breath of air before exhaling, desperately trying to clear his head.

"I won't be stepping down right away," his grandfather piped in happily. "You have to learn the ropes first of course."

"Gramps." Laxus sighed. "I don't think that would be the best decision. The guild hasn't exactly welcomed me with open arms."

"Nonsense! The members of the guild just need to see your changes. They need to be shown how much you have to offer as the future Master." He said as he looked at his grandson with confident and upbeat eyes.

Laxus brows furrowed together as his mouth set into a distasteful frown. He could feel the frustration creep its way into his mind as he tried to reason with his grandfather. "Gramps, you and I both know that isn't going to happen anytime soon." He grumbled in a low and serious tone.

"Oh, don't tell me you won't at least try to-"

"No, Gramps." He interjected. "I'm saying that it won't happen because I can't necessarily show them how I have changed if they are not willing to look." He forced through grit teeth. "Most still act as if Fantasia happened just yesterday. They don't see a person trying to fix their mistakes, Gramps. They are too clouded by malice and mistrust to comprehend that simple fact."

Makarov stepped around his desk and looked at his grandson, his very own flesh and blood. He could see the doubt and conflict broiling within, a side of Laxus he had never in his long life come face to face with. Yet, he could see it everywhere in the man; his confidence replaced by an emotion too foreign to be recognized.

"I know their behavior can be demeaning at times, but you did try to harm the people they care about, so of course many would resent you for that. However, if I know anything about this guild, it's that everyone here is capable of forgiving." Makarov said with a warm and assuring tone.

Laxus ran his hand through soft, blonde tresses as he let the new information sink in. Laxus knew deep within that his grandfather was right. Sadly, the amount of time it would take to gain back the guild's trust was not going to aid him in the least.

"It will indeed be a difficult task to accomplish," Makarov spoke as if reading his mind, "but you should be up to the challenge. You are a Dreyar after all." He chuckled.

Laxus eyed his grandfather and tried to make sense of the whole situation. He was going to be Master of Fairy Tail, his home, and he needed to step up to the challenge.

"You sure do have a way with words, Gramps. " Laxus rolled his eyes, a small smile forming onto his face.

"Knew you wouldn't let this old man down." Makarov chuckled. "But this isn't the only thing I need from you."

"It never is, Gramps." Laxus answered sarcastically as his grandfather smirked at the remark.

"Right you are, Laxus. I need to talk to you about your charges."

"My what?" The lightning user asked, somewhat confused as he thought of his lightning.

"Not that charge!" Makarov hollered as he pulled out several papers from his desk. "This year has been fairly tough determining the contestants of the trial with the new members and all. So, I have assigned all of the current S-Class mages to monitor and evaluate possible candidates. Mirajane, Gildarts, and Erza have already been given their charges, which leaves you will the remaining group." He stated hunching over the pile.

"Who are my 'charges' exactly?" Laxus asked as he stood to examine the material. He looked at the papers that littered the table, each varying in size and length. His hand took a random paper that had a list of names, several crossed out, a few circled, and some rewritten more than once. Makarov plucked a thick yellow folder from the pile and handed it to Laxus.

"You are to form a team and report back daily of their progress. Within the folder is already pre-assigned missions that you and your team can take. Any other missions you plan to have your team do must be cleared by myself first. The day before the trials is when I will make the final decision. You are still free to go on solo missions as long as it within a four day time frame; your team however, will only be permitted to take jobs together over the next three months. Most importantly, do not let the members of the guild know that this is an evaluation. Other than that, you are free to greet your new team!" He beamed.

Laxus nodded to his grandfather before taking his leave, yellow folder still in hand. He was more than relieved to take a break from the S-Class jobs and crazy time periods. He was indeed slightly displeased with having to partake in this evaluation, but if it killed time, he didn't mind much. He stopped right before entering the guild hall, remembering the folder he held. He opened the folder and took out a paper with three names and soon to be new team. Blue eyes scanned the paper before placing it back in its previous position.

_'Gajeel Redfox, Wendy Marvell, and Lucy Heartfillia. Let's see what you can do.'_

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**Author's Note: It was actually pretty tough trying to show a bit more softer side of Laxus but still keeping him strong and masculine. This was my small interpretation of what I thought would have happened if Laxus had been allowed to stay, but overall it was fun writing! Next chapter will be out later on in the week, possibly the next few days. Hope you liked the slight twist for the trails. I really appreciate comments of any kind! :)**


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